Slave to the Stars
by PitifulDamned
Summary: The war is over, and they all thought they were free to live the lives they wanted. But with the drop in population, there has to be new laws to save the entiret of the Brittish wizarding world. Rated T for Safety. Marriage law, but with a twist of my own.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I hope you like the story. Feel free to comment below. This will probably be a long one and the beginning may suck, but I will work on it. Please don't flame unnecessarily and I will try to keep this in character.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It is merely my sand box.

Hermione ran down from Ron's bedroom at the Burrow. Everything was almost back to normal. George was still brokenhearted from his brothers death and he often had a far off look in his eyes, especially if he had just told a particularly funny joke or played a prank, but in the five months after the battle, he had healed and with him, the entire family.

The bushy-haired woman sat herself at the table with a muffin from the counter and some tea Mrs. Weasley had given her. Hermione's parents had died a month before the battle. They had remembered her when the memory charm wore off, something Hermione would likely never forgive herself for. _If only I had been stronger, thought of a better plan_ she thought. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and spilt into her tea. Mrs. Weasley came around the corner of the kitchen, babbling about what they were going to do that day and saw the young woman crying.

Mrs. Weasley put her hand on the now shaking girl's shoulder. Hermione took a few calming breaths before looking up at her surrogate mother and smiling watery.

"See here, Hermione. It wasn't your fault," The older woman said in a gentle voice, "You didn't point the wand at them and you did your best to protect them."

"But if I had only—"

"There was nothing you could have done. If you want, we can talk about them later tonight, we can, but for now, I hear the boys coming down."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley." Hermione whispered.

"No dear, call me Molly, you have more than earned that right."

"How about mum?" The young girl smiled at the older woman with a look of pure hope and desperation.

Mrs. Weasley's blue eyes watered up and she put her hand to her mouth to keep her lip from wobbling. She engulfed Hermione in a hug and Hermione swore she heard the woman sob into her shoulder. Both of them sat back and wiped the tears from their eyes and smiled at each other. Hermione knew that even if she and Ron were to break up, Mrs. Weasley would always be there for her.

Ron, George, Harry, Charley, who was back from Romania for the time being, Bill, Fleur and Ginny came stumbling down the stairs and sat themselves down at the table. Ron leaned over to Hermione and wiped a stray tear off her cheek and cupped her face in his hand. He planted a kiss right on her cheek and held her hand. _He is just so, so, perfect._ Hermione thought as Ron talked to one of his brothers and Harry while rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb to comfort her. They still fought, quite often, but they always made up. _We probably aren't compatible, but I believe I would die without him,_ Hermione thought irrationally.

She looked on over to Ginny and smiled. Her and Harry were so close and Hermione was so happy for them. Harry, especially, he deserved a little love and a good family after all he had been through. Ginny, who was leaning on Harry, smiled back and winked at her. Over the months, they had become quite close and Hermione was proud to call Ginny her friend.

The boys, of course, were talking about Quidditch; they all had tickets to the world cup, which was being held for the first time since after their fifth year later today. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione herself had quite a bit of compensation money for being war heroes, enough for all of them to live comfortably, especially Ron, Harry and Hermione. When the Ministry had heard what they had gone through to destroy Horcruxes, they were falling over themselves to offer them anything for saving the entirety of the wizarding world.

Hermione was smiling at the boy in their debate of who would win the world cup when a tawny owl flew right in the kitchen window carrying the _Daily Prophet_. It had become a lot more credible after Kingsly Shacklebolt had become minister and made sure the _Prophet_ was reporting actual news. Hermione opened the paper to the front page and read the headline news, which almost made her faint.

 **SHOCKING POPULATION REPORT FROM THE MINISTRY!**

 _The Ministry of Magic came out with official population statistics from the losses during the war. Some 25,540 witches and wizards were killed, nearly all between the ages of 17 to 40, shrinking the likely hood of recovery of population. This dramatic drop in the population is very concerning and a lack of magical population might decrease the amount of muggle-born witches and wizards born, a study found by Hannah Abbot in the Department of Muggle and Wizard Relation Research._

 _In light of these extreme circumstances, the Parliament of Wizards and the Minister of Magic have agreed on a new Marriage Law. The Marriage Law, or Law , states that any witch or wizard between the ages of 17 and 55 are required to get married. The Ministry will provide matches based on a survey that will be sent to every eligible witches or wizards home on October 18 and will be required to be sent back to the Ministry by October 25 and matches will be sent to the recipient by November 1. Further information will be provided by a letter that will be sent with the survey._

 _Failure to complete the survey or comply with the law will result in a minimum sentence on 25 years in Azkaban or having your memory of the wizarding world erased, your wand snapped and banishment to the muggle world. More on the Marriage law on p. 6._

 _By Luna Lovegood_

Hermione looked up worriedly and shoved the paper to Ron, who scanned the article quickly. He gasped and turned as white as a sheet. The paper was spread one by one across the table and everybody grew as white as a sheet. Hermione looked to Ron who sighed.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. I should have proposed sooner." He hugged Hermione tightly to him.

There was not enough time to file for an engagement. The rest of the article said that if an engagement was filed before the date that the survey was sent out, then the couple was exempt from the Marriage Law. Engagements took at least a week to file and process, so all was lost.

"I'm sure I'll get you." She told Ron, but he only smiled unsurely.

Just as most of the commotion had died down and everyone had grief-stricken face, another, more expensive-looking owl flew and dropped a letter in front of Hermione. She recognized the familiar scrawl and an ironic smile appeared on her lips. Ron grunted in a jealous fashion and read the letter over Hermione's shoulder.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _I heard you had tickets to the world cup, so I am extending an invitation to you and your party to come to the Bulgarian team's party after the game. I have not seen you in so long and I dearly miss you, even though you are dating that Ron character. I know it's over between us, I just want to catch up with my friend and I was joking about Ron. I hope you're happy and I hope you'll come._

 _Your friend always,_

 _Viktor Krum_

Hermione laughed at his awkward but friendly note. Even Ron smiled and was glad that Viktor wasn't trying to woo his girlfriend.

"Victor has invited up to an after party, does anyone want to go?"

Everyone responded positively and for a while, the Marriage Law and all other worries were forgotten. The war was over, and all the children who were deprived of a childhood beforehand deserved one. Only Mrs. Weasley was worried for the future, but she let her children be children and watched them all eagerly run up the stairs to get ready for the day ahead of them. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon and it lit the field in the front of the Burrow on fire, turning the dying brown grass a bright gold color. Mrs. Weasley looked at the beautiful scene and sighed. It reminded her of a poem that Mr. Weasley once recited to her when he was on his muggle poetry kick right before they were married, before the first wizarding world war.

 _Nature's first green is gold,_

 _Her hardest hue to hold._

 _Her early leaf's a flower;_

 _But only so an hour._

 _Then leaf subsides to leaf._

 _So Eden sank to grief,_

 _So dawn goes down to day._

 _Nothing gold can stay._

She recited the haunting words in her head, thinking of her children and fearing the future.

Hermione had just got done getting dressed for the day and was packing her small beaded bag for the trip to the world cup camp site. She had kept the small beaded bag, it was possibly the strongest magic she had ever preformed and it was a souvenir from the war.

There was a knock at the door and Ron stepped in her room. He was blushing furiously and he was holding something behind his back. Hermione was about to ask him why he was in here, and tell him that we had to leave soon or we would never make it, but he spoke first.

"Hermione, please just let me speak. I know we have to leave soon, but this won't take but five minutes. I have liked you for nearly six years and loved you for the past three. I was going to propose after seventh year, but the war happened, then I was going to propose after the war, then Fred died and your parents were found dead. I was just so broken and I didn't feel like I could take care of you." He knelt down on one knee, "And now with this Marriage Law, we might not be together, but I would like you to know that I will love you forever. Hermione, will you marry me?" He asked.

Hermione was in tears. Ron had opened a jewelry box and inside it was a ring. It wasn't flashy, it didn't even have a diamond but it did have an inscription. On the top of the polished silver ring, it said _true love_. This made her cry even more, Ron started to look worried.

"I know it's not much, I got it before the money, I actually got it before Bill and Fluer's wedding, I can get a better one if you want."

Hermione threw herself on Ron, sobbing.

"No Ron, It's perfect. Of course I'll marry you."

Ron slipped it on her finger and it magically resized to fit her perfectly.

"I also charmed it to burn lightly when you are in any danger and it's a portkey to wherever I am at the moment. All you have to say is 'teaspoon'."

Hermione giggled, remembering their conversation in their fifth year of school. "You did this all for me?"

"Of course, anything for you."

"Ron, Hermione, you better not be in a compromising situation. We have to leave now, or else we'll be late." Yelled Harry from the bottom of the stairs.

Ron smiled at Hermione, kissed her quickly on the mouth and grabbed her beaded bag before running down the stairs. After a while, Hermione ran after him.

 **A/N** : A little Ron and Hermione fluff. It would make sense that they love each other. I think that Ron, although thick, is really sweet. Please read, and comment. _Nothing Gold can Stay_ is by robbert frost.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Back again. I hope you like it. Please please please please review. (By the way, this is AU, so some people lived. There may also be American references. Sorry)

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

The nine young adults apparated to the world cup campgrounds. It wasn't as crowded as before. Though the war was over, most people erred on the side of caution and decided to go home after the game instead of staying, but there were campgrounds with extra security measures. They quickly set up the tent with magic and went inside. It was bigger than the last one, with four rooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms as well as a living room. They unpacked their things and sat around the fire in the living room.

"Ron, do you remember the time with Aragog, your face was hilarious."

Ron blushed madly and he tried to make up an excuse. _Ron was very brave,_ Hermione thought, _unless it has to do with spiders._ Everyone laughed at his discomfort, even Ron himself. They sat talking about old times and their various adventures until they left their tent an hour later. They made it to the Quidditch pitch and started climbing the stairs all the way to the top box behind the Bulgarian goal posts. After a while, the announcer walked onto the center of the field and started the match off in his magnified voice.

"Thank you all for coming to the Quidditch world cup! Before I hand it over to the referee, lets introduce the team. Playing on home turf, it's the Holly Head Harpies." The team flew on to the field as the announce introduced them. "Now, as the visiting team, the Bulgarian National Quidditch team." They, too flew on the field and there was a massive uproar when Viktor flew on the field. Viktor looked right at Hermione and waved, but all the girls around her swooned. The ref took the field and the game started.

Bulgaria got the quaffle first, they took it to the Harpy's side, but the Harpy's keeper blocked it. The Harpies recovered and scored. Hermione and Ron booed at the Harpy's chasers. The Harpy's keeper evaded a bludger hit by the Bulgarian beater, swerved past the keeper and scored once more against Bulgaria. Then, the Bulgarian chaser intercepted a pass and scored on the Harpies. But before they could regain control over the quaffle, the Harpy's beater nearly knocked the Bulgarian chaser off of his broom. The Harpies regained the quaffle.

They passed the quaffle back and forth. It was an intense game. The snitch was nowhere to be found and the Bulgarians were down140 points; 220 to 360. Suddenly Viktor Krum dove straight down. The entire crowd was holding their breath. The Harpy's seeker was neck in neck with Viktor. His hand was stretched forward and he was all the way at the top of his broom. Eight feet from the ground, Viktor's hand closed around the snitch and he pulled up hard. By this time, the entire stadium was cheering and shouting, most members were on their feet. The Harpy's seeker couldn't pull up fast enough and crashed into the ground, but he was able to slow down enough, he was not seriously injured.

Viktor Krum Took a lap around the pitch and stopped right in front of Hermione. He leaned over the bars and gave the snitch to her.

"You're coming, right?" He asked.

Hermione nodded and smiled. Ron, however, was frowning and glaring at the skilled seeker. Viktor, being the gentleman that he is, put his hands up in surrender and gestured between them. Then he flew down to the field to start signing autographs and speak to a reporter of the _Prophet_. Hermione hugged Ron tightly, they were both happy that Bulgaria won and happy that they had each other, even if it was for a little while longer.

The after party with the Bulgarian team was madly wild, even more so because they one. They took a portkey to some place. There was a huge ballroom and an open bar. Hermione and Ron were sitting at a table with Harry and Ginny, taking a break from dancing. Hermione was fingering her ring and smiling adoringly at Ron as he talked about the game with Harry and Ginny. Hermione had no real interest in Quidditch, but she wanted her boys to be happy.

There was movement behind her and Viktor tapped her on the shoulder.

"My I steal Hermione for a dance?" He asked, looking at Ron.

Ron nodded and Viktor led her to the dance floor right when a waltz was being played. It was from a muggle American movie, Sleeping Beauty, but it was still beautiful. Viktor grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around the dance floor. They danced in silence for the first verse, just listening to it.

 _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream  
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam  
Yet I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem  
But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_

"I heard about the Marriage Law, and I see your ring. Are you and Ron…?"

"I don't know Viktor. We were too late to file for an engagement. It's too confusing."

"Well you look beautiful tonight."

"Your English got better. Just a hint of the accent."

"Oh, yes, I did a tour of America last year, during the war. I guess I was lucky, but when I heard about the final battle, I was so worried that you had gotten hurt or killed. I value your friendship very much. I still love you, you know, but I understand how it is with you and Ron, and I won't be able to take care of you the way you deserve, what with my profession."

Hermione rested her head on Viktor's broad chest while they still moved across the dance floor.

 _But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once  
The way you did once upon a dream_

"I'm engaged" he blurted out suddenly.

"Viktor, that's wonderful! What's her name?"

"Ann Huston. She lives in America. She is nothing like you, but she is nice and smart and beautiful. I care about her a great deal."

"That's wonderful. Where is she?"

"She's in Louisiana, but she's going to travel with me and move to Bulgaria. We're getting married in three weeks. So, I guess that this is our last dance, but I want you to remember that if you need anything, I'm here for you, and so is Ann. I told her about you, she wants to meet with you."

"Viktor, you are amazing. You will always be my first love, but I have to deal with this law and Ron. But could I come to your wedding?"

"Of course. I have your invitation in my jacket."

They danced to the last verse of the song, Viktor spinning Hermione and Hermione laughing at his antics when he tried to sing along to the last part of the song.

 _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream  
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam_ _  
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem  
But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_

"I have permission to do this." He said before he leaned over and kissed me briefly on the lips.

Hermione immediately turned to look at Ron, but he was in a debate with his sister. Harry saw though, and raised his brow at her. Viktor bowed at her, and Hermione curtsied back. He hugged her before dancing with another beautiful girl in the crowd.

The dazed girl sat next to Ron and held his hand. She knew she did no longer love Viktor Krum, but they would forever be friends. He did what he needed to say goodbye. She just hoped Ron would be the same way.

She and Ron danced throughout the night before all nine of their group took a portkey back to the campground and stumbled into their tent. Hermione was the last one up and instead of sharing a bed with Ginny, she went into Ron and Harry's room and crawled into bed with Ron. He wrapped his arms around her and they both fell into a deep sleep, dreading the news the morrow would bring.

The group returned early in the morning to the Burrow, were Mrs. Weasley had a large breakfast ready. She was glad her children were a little worse for wear. That meant they had fun, possibly for the last time in their lives. After breakfast had been eaten and the boys, who had possibly drunk too much, were looking better, five owls with five thick envelopes arrived at the table. They all opened the letters at once. Hermione read very carefully.

 _Dear Hermione Jean Granger,_

 _You fall into the age range for the new mandatory Marriage Law. This letter outlines all that is expected of you._

 _1._ _You fill out the attached form and send it back to the Ministry as soon as possible. This ensures that people have partners that suit them. Your survey must be sent back by October 25._

 _2._ _Your matches will be sent you on November 1. You will get anywhere from two to six matches, depending on your answers. You must meet at least twice with each match._

 _3._ _By December 23, you must pick the match most suitable for you and attend the Ministry ball on the 25th to formally announce your engagement._

 _4._ _You must be married to whom you were formally engaged to in the next six months._

 _5._ _In the next six years, you must produce at least two children in order to sustain the population. After that, in the next seven years, you must produce at least one more child._

 _6._ _Failure to comply with any of these will result in a minimum sentence of 25 years to Azkaban or having your memory wiped, wand snapped and will be banished to the muggle world._

 _We thank you for you cooperation._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Miranda Hurtwait._

Hermione sat shocked after reading the letter. They were asking quite a lot in a short amount of time. She looked down at the forms that would specify her future husband. They were several sheets of paper, one question after the other. It was a little overwhelming and she leant against Ron. Ron leant against her and squeezed her shoulder.

Mrs. Weasley passed out quills and set out inkbottles. They began one by one, a determined look on their faces. They had been through much worse. Each one was trying to answer as truthfully as possible, not wanting to get stuck with someone they didn't like. So they worked diligently until they were done. Charlie was the last person done and together, they sent their letters to the Ministry, all they could do was wait.

On Halloween, Hermione and Harry had the night together. Ginny went trick or treating with people in her year, though people would say she was too old, she was determined to celebrate. Unfortunately, Harry could not feel more different. It was the one thing they disagreed on. Harry and Hermione dressed in all black and went to church in Godric's Hollow. After words, they went to the graveyard. It was silent and snow began to gently fall around them. Harry knelt at his parent's graves and put his hand on the tombstone. He seemed to say something. Hermione conjured a wreath of white lilies and placed them at the bottom of the tombstone. After fifteen minutes, she pulled Harry away from the grave and walked him toward a little pub. They got a couple of firewiskis and a bowl of thick stew. They reminisced about their past, trying to forget what would happen tomorrow. Suddenly, Harry was looking straight at her with intense eyes.

"I love Ginny, Hermione. I really do, and if we aren't matched for each other, I might die. I honestly might. I have, we have been through so much, we deserve happiness. I can't believe that their doing this to us. I just can't."

"Calm down Harry. You and Ginny are perfect for each other. I would be surprised if you weren't on the top of her list. Don't worry."

"Hermione, you're my best friend. I hope you end up happy."

"You deserve it more, Harry Potter. More than anything in the world. And whatever happens, I will always be here for you and I will follow you to the ends of the earth."

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and smiled at her.

"Neither Ron nor I deserve you."

"Yet I am here."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Read and review. I value your input.**

The next morning dawned too quickly. Hermione woke up in Ron Weasley's arms, possibly for the last time. She leant down and kissed him awake. They progressed into a rather intense snogging session until there was a knock at the door.

"You too come downstairs. Everyone is on pins and needles and you have to bare the torture as well."

They both shook their heads at Harry's words, but they got up and walked downstairs hand in hand. Shortly after they arrived, the letters came. It was a terrifying moment, when Hermione was opening her letter, hoping that Ron would be at the top of her list. She forced herself to read the whole letter instead of just skipping down to the names.

 _Dear Hermione Jean Granger,_

 _Your selection process has been complete. The names listed below are in order of compatibility from least compatible to most compatible. As a reminder, you must meet with each match at least twice before you make your decisions. Your matches are:_

 ** _Jacob Crawley_**

 ** _Harry Potter_**

 ** _Draco Malfoy_**

 ** _Abraxas Limoux_**

 ** _Severus Snape_**

 _Thank you for cooperating._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Miranda Hurtwait._

Hermione started laughing hysterically. She was barely acknowledging her most compatible name, no she thought something was much funnier. She, of course, was done reading before everyone else and they all paused to look at her.

"Hermione, darling, what's wrong?" Asked Ron.

"Draco Malfoy and I are more compatible than Harry." She kept laughing, and Joined in when he read his names.

"Me and Pansy are more compatible."

The two were in hysterics and the rest of the table went back to reading their letters. Ginny kissed Harry fiercely, but there were no tears, suggesting that they were at least matched. Ron was as whit as a sheet.

"Hermione, you're not on my list." He whispered as if he was going to die.

"I know." I whispered back.

He kissed me on the lips before running up the stairs. I stared in shock at my names. I was most compatible with Severus Snape.

After a minute, Ron came back downstairs, his eyes red and puffy. He never liked crying in front of people. They sat around the table and Mrs. Weasley suggested they read off their most compatible person. Harry got Ginny and Ginny got Harry. Charlie got a girl named Rebecca, apparently someone that was in his year, but a Ravenclaw. George was smiling, he had been matched with Angelina. Ron gulped then told everyone he got Luna Lovegood. Hermione sat there for a second. She could picture Ron and Luna together. They would make an excellent couple. Then she realized it was her turn. She focused herself to make the three syllables, but it felt like it took all of her strength.

"Severus Snape." She whispered.

Ron burst into nervous laughter, as if she had to be joking, but when she didn't smile or say anything else, Ron grabbed Hermione's letter and ran down the list of names. He paled and started blushing an angry purple.

"There's no way that HIM of all people is more compatible than me. I love you, I don't even know if he is capable of loving anything, or even feeling. No, something is very, very wrong here. He's twice your age."

"Mum," Hermione whispered in a watery voice.

Mrs. Weasley walked over, helped Hermione up and took her to the living room. Hermione felt like she was hyperventilating and she felt nauseated. They sat on the worn couches and Mrs. Weasley held Hermione and just let her cry. It was her first real cry since right before the final battle. It was messy and loud, it was the healing type of crying. After a good fifteen minutes, she was done and looked up at the wonderful woman before her. She handed the crying girl a handkerchief. Hermione wiped her face.

"I guess I should send these men letters." Hermione said.

"There's no rush dear, take as much time as you want."

"But there is a rush, I need to decide in just less than two months and meet with all five of them at least twice."

"What are they doing to you kids?" The older woman asked to herself.

Hermione went upstairs and started writing letters to all five of the men. It took a while, for half of the time, she was shaking but she finally got them out. Now all she had to do was wait.

The dark man collapsed into a chair and let out a grunt, though he had just woken up. He was exhausted. When a house elf popped to him and handed him the letter from the ministry, he knew the day would only get longer and longer. He opened the letter and scanned for the names. There were only two. The first was Emily Vanile. She was a Slytherin and was about twenty five years old and while she was intelligent, He remembered her being rather invasive and annoying. Definitely, someone he would not want to be stuck with for long periods. Then, there was his most compatible person. Hermione Granger. The know-it-all that he could not wait to get out of his classroom. She was so insufferable, but he had to pick between bad, worse and giving up magic, the last thing he had left. He dropped his head into his hands and tried to rub the headache away. Then, a house elf popped in with yet another letter. He recognized the tiny scrawling handwriting from the many perfect potions essays he had read over the years.

 _Dear Professor Snape,_

 _It seems as if we are most compatible for each other, and we are required to meet at least once. I am free for the next two months, so if you would like to request a time and a place, I will be there._

 _Yours,_

 _Hermione Granger_

He grabbed a piece of parchment from his desk and started to write a reply.

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _It is my displeasure to say that we are the most compatible out of the meager pool of people in the pool from the law. I would like to invite you to my rooms for a drink tonight. We might as well get this over with. Be here at seven sharp. Don't bother dressing up._

 _SS_

He sent it of to be mailed; though after he sent it, he wondered if he was being too brash. He shook his head, remembering whom he was and what he was supposed to act like. He put on his outer cloak and went to the far side of the dungeon. They were working on rebuilding the school so it could open next term. He had a lot on his plate and he spent the rest of the day doing 'foolish wand waving' to help restore what was broken in the Slytherin commons.

Once Hermione got the letter and opened it, she glared down it. It was just so like him. Hermione showed the letter to Mrs. Weasley who smiled.

"He must be rather displeased with his other choice to have invited you over to his rooms so early on. And look, you've got two hours to get ready. I'll get Ginny."

Ginny insisted that Hermione look good, even though Professor Snape said not to dress up. She took a quick shower. Ginny dried and styled her hair. It was still the same unmanageable bush, but Ginny managed to wrestle it up into a halfway decent looking bun. Next was clothes. Hermione really didn't own anything nice, she hadn't been shopping since the end of the war, it just didn't seem that important. Ginny said she had the perfect thing. She ran to her room and Hermione was left in Ron's room. She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger. She put it in the pocket of her skinny jeans.

Ginny came back to the room with a black V-neck shirt that was tight all around and an emerald green scarf that complimented Hermione's hazel eyes perfectly. She put both on, then sat perfectly still while Ginny applied makeup. It was subtle, but nice.

Hermione grabbed her winter cloak before hugging Mrs. Weasley, leaving the apparation field around the Burrow and apparating to Hogsmade. It was cold near the castle and Hermione hurried up the long path. She wanted to get into the dungeons as soon as possible, as to not be seen and questioned by anyone. She made it to the potions classroom, but it was locked. Hermione stood there, frustrated in the dark and glared at the solid door keeping her from her impending meeting with the dark potions professor and warmth.

She started to shiver. It was damp down in the dungeons and it was going through her winter cloak fast. She heard footsteps in the corridor and turned around. There was Professor Snape, just as she remembered him, dressed in all black and with a bitter expression on his face. He stood close to her and towered over her, for a second, she felt scared, but the professor, seeing this, backed off a bit.

"Do you assume I live in a place I hate so much? I thought you were supposed to be smart Miss Granger. Have Potter and Weasley finally dumbed you down?" He looked at his watch, "At least you're on time. Follow me." He whirled around and his cloak did a turn with him.

Hermione seethed at his words. He had no right to talk to her like that, but the meeting must happen, so she followed. He led her to a different part of the dungeon. He stood at a painting of a battleground and whispered his password so Hermione could not hear. The painting turned into a door that Professor Snape stepped through and so, yet again, Hermione followed.

His rooms were neat and tidy, like everything. He had a black leather chair, a black leather sofa, an ebony coffee table and white carpet. All around his living room were bookshelves filled with books. She scanned some of the titles. Some were extremely rare and others were even out of print. Professor Snape had s=disappeared, so Hermione dared to peak at a book. She slipped it off the shelf and started to read.

"I'm glad to see your making yourself at home." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hermione quickly closed the book and put it exactly where it was. Then she turned to Professor Snape. He was holding two wine glasses. He offered one out to her and she took it.

"How has your summer been, Professor?"

"Dismal. I am forever trying to fix up the dungeons so we can open next September. I rarely have any time to research, but I do get the odd potion done. How was your summer? Have you progressed in your academics?"

"Well I studied for my NEWTs right after the battle and received Os on all of them. But after that Harry and Ron just wanted to hang out. Truthfully, I have been going a little stir crazy for the last month or so. I haven't even been able to sit down and read."

"And Mr. Weasley, are you and he an item?"

She was shocked at the question, but answered anyways, "We aren't on each other's lists, so no, not anymore."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence. Hermione observed the professor intently. He looked tired, like he had not been sleeping well. He still had those dark obsidian eyes that felt like they could slice right through your soul. His hair hung around his face like a dark curtain and his hands were folded together on his lap.

In turn, Professor Snape watched the young woman. She had filled out since he had last seen her, but then again, the last time he saw her was right before the battle. He knew they had been living in the woods and barely scraping by, but when he saw the trio in the great hall on that fateful day, he never knew his student could look like they did. Haunted and emaciated. Now, the Miss. Granger had a full face, bright intelligent eyes and small lips, making her look like an angel. Her hair was a mess, just as he remembered it. Though she had put it into a bun, it was starting to escape. His eyes traveled down to her scarf, Slytherin green. He smiled involuntarily, but his it quickly.

Hermione took a gulp of wine, cleared her throat and asked "What have you been working on lately?"

The awkward silence was broken. "I've been working on a cure for the Angel's Trumpet Draught."

"But that's extremely poisonous. And fast acting."

"Yes Miss Granger, thank you for pointing out the obvious. The Bezoar cannot cure this poison, which is what makes it so dangerous,"

"What have you done so far?"

"Well, I have a base of Phoenix tears, of course, for their healing properties. But, of course, they usually don't work when you drink them. Then there's adder's fork for the absorbency and Scarab beetle to make it fast acting. That's where I run into problems."

"Yes, the adder's fork would make it to acidic to drink; it would only burn through the drinker's stomach."

"Yes, I have run into that problem. I tried adding an eel eye to balance the solution out, but it only cancelled out the Scarab beetle, so the Angel's trumpet would kill you before the cure would have time to take effect."

"Yes." Hermione scrunched up her face in concentration. "But what if you added a Jobberknoll feather instead of the adder's fork? And stirred it sixteen times," She paused, "counter clockwise in a minute, evenly spaced in a heated salt water solution?"

"That could work. It would keep the potion at a normal PH balance, but what about its other effects?"

"True, you would have to make the potion in a silver cauldron, because the Jobberknoll feather would absorb the lead from the pewter cauldron."

"Would you like some more wine, Miss Granger."

"Please."

They talked for hours, jumping from one topic to the next. It was midnight, then two in the morning, then four. They started doing real research, pulling books off of the shelves and reading them, examining potion ingredients, at one point, Professor Snape led her into his private lab so she could see the Angel Trumpet's Draught Cure, which was under a stasis charm. It was six in the morning when Hermione yawned for the third time in the last minute.

"Perhaps you should return to your home Miss Granger, it has been nearly twelve hours."

"Has it?"

He nodded and brought her cloak from the rack by his door. She stood up and he helped her put her cloak on. He stepped back quickly, obviously uncomfortable with being so close to her. The dark man insisted in walking her out of the dungeons, so she wouldn't get lost and catch her death. When they got up to the ground floor, he stopped.

"I can truly tell why they call you the smartest witch of your age. Thank you for the stimulating discussion"

Hermione was shocked at his praise, but managed to stutter a response.

"N-no it was an honor to talk potions with the best potions master in Brittan. Thank you sir."

He bowed to her, "Until next time, Mrs. Granger."

"Yes, Professor Snape."

She tried to sneak into the Burrow, but sitting at the table fast asleep was Ginny Weasley and as soon as Hermione stepped inside, the floorboards creaked and Ginny snapped to attention.

"Hermione! I was starting to get worried about you. I thought maybe Snape had killed you."

"Professor Snape Ginny. And no, he didn't kill me, though I feel like I got hit by a bus."

"Yes, so how was the greasy bat of the dungeons? Still as scornful as ever? Did he try to make a move on you? I always thought he was kinda sexy, in an older man kind of way."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Said Harry as he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"How was Severus? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I did. It was really awkward at first, but then we started talking about potions. He has so many books; we started working on a cure for Angel's Trumpet, trying to make it non-acidic, but still effective."

"Hermione, you must have been in heaven." Harry nudged her side.

"Was it terribly romantic?" asked Ginny.

"No, not really, but he did call me the smartest witch of my age."

Harry choked on the tea he had reheated from the night before.

"He actually gave you a complement? He must like you."

"No, Harry, he more or less agreed with everyone else."

Just then, an owl flew through the window and dropped a package and a letter on the table. Hermione opened the letter first.

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _To keep you entertained during you time with the dunderheads Weasley and Potter. Enjoy._

 _SS_

Hermione frowned and opened the package. It was a black leather bound book. On the front of the cover in the middle, there was the word 'research' embossed in gold and on the corner, the initials SS. She opened it. The book was full of tiny scrawl, papers jammed between the pages of the book.

"He gave you one of his research books? He must trust you." Harry said, awe in his voice.

"Either that, or he's trying to win her over." Ginny put in.

Hermione just sat there, a small smile on her face, staring down at the old black book.

 **A/N:** Please review, it would make my day. The next chapter will probably be about Hermione's meeting with the rest of her suitors. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** As always, thank you for reading. Please favorite, add the story to your alerts and review. I own nothing.

Hermione was getting ready to meet Draco Malfoy. It was two days after her meeting with Professor Snape and she was enjoying reading his research notebook, which she realized not long after he started reading it that it was his dissertation notebook. For his dissertation, he had created the Wolfsbane potion, a true find. Hermione shook her head, ridding all thoughts of the potions professor from her head. She was wearing a black dress Ginny made her buy and her hair was down, falling in soft waves. She felt awkward meeting Malfoy, even though he had switched sides near the end of the war. He was her childhood bully. _So was Professor Snape_ She thought. _But no, he was trying to make me work harder, not bully me._

Malfoy knocked on the Burrow's door and she heard Mrs. Weasley open it.

"Draco, it's so good to see you. Come in, come in, Hermione will be right down."

Hermione was debating whether or not to end Malfoy's suffering when Ron stepped into the room.

"I don't like this, how could you be matched to the enemy?"

"He switched sides, remember? He's not the enemy."

"But he insulted you all throughout our Hogwarts days."

"Ron, you know that was just his father talking."

"Stop making excuses for him Hermione! He doesn't deserve you!"

Hermione sighed and hugged Ron, who hugged her back.

"This is hard for the both of us. I still love you Ron. I always will, but we have to do this."

Hermione left Ron and went downstairs. Draco Malfoy was trying to listen to the woman in front of him when he was still clearly shocked about his surroundings. Hermione motioned to Draco and he stood up.

"Thank you for letting me wait inside Mrs. Weasley. Your home is absolutely charming."

Mrs. Weasley beamed at him. Malfoy offered his arm to Hermione and they walked out together. They apparated to an alleyway in muggle London. He guided her to a fancy Italian restaurant.

"Thank you for taking me here, Malfoy."

"No problem, Granger. Can we drop the last names though, it reminds me of…"

"Sure, Draco. What do you think of this Marriage law?"

"It's stupid. I did get matched with my fiancé, though."

"That's fantastic!"

"Yeah, but she's not so happy that I have to go on dates with other women."

"How many other?"

"Just you and Ginny."

Hermione giggled. "Tell her not to worry. Ginny is fully devoted to Harry and I, well, I think that there's too much history between us."

It was silent for a second before he blurted "I'm sorry. I don't think I was able to every properly say it, but I'm sorry. Sorry for the years I teased you and called you mud-you know. I don't really think I knew what I was doing. Then at the manor, when you were being tortured, that's when I knew that blood didn't matter. You still bled red, like me, like everybody else. I just didn't know what to do. I'm so so sorry."

"Hey Draco, look at me. You have nothing to be sorry about. You are a victim of this war and of Voldemort, just like Harry, Ron and me. It's how you were raised. But because you can see past your bias, you prove you are a good man. You are not your father Draco."

The blond boy smiled at her and they spent the rest of the evening I companionable conversation. At the end of the night, Draco walked Hermione back to the ally and apparated them to the Burrow. He walked her to the front door and they stopped.

"Thank you, Hermione, for forgiving me."

"Thank you for changing."

Draco started to walk away when Hermione called out to him.

"Who is you fiancé?"

"Martha Bennet" He called back.

"She's muggle born!"

"He smiled at her and shouted I know!"

Her meeting with Abraxas Limoux did not go as well. She met him at his home. He sneered at her the moment she stepped foot in the house. He was a French pureblood, but with British citizenship. Hermione knew he was a muggle born hater from the moment she saw him. He looked down on her with disgust.

The mansion he lived in was vast, but it was nothing compared to Malfoy Manor. They sat at opposite ends of the long dinner table and he talked about his family's purity. He was starting to get on Hermione's nerves and when the night ended, she was not looking forward to her second mandatory meeting with him. He opened the door to let her out and slammed it the second after she was out of the door way. Hermione went home and took her anger at Abraxas out on her pillow.

She met with Jacob Crawley, a muggle born, at a swing dance. It was interesting. He was a good dancer, but he wasn't as mature as she would have liked him. She danced with many people that night. Jacob spun her around the dancefloor with ease and she had fun. The songs were fast and the dances were tiring. They didn't talk all that much, there wasn't really a place to. They had fun, though. That is, until the end of the night. He was a little tipsy, there was alcohol at the dance and when they were leaving, he tried to kiss her. She pushed him away and apparated on the spot.

Their next meeting would be a quick walk around a lake before Hermione never saw him again.

Her meetings with Harry were pleasurable, albeit short. There was really no sense in going out since they lived in the same house, but they had to, or else they would be sent to Azkaban. They walked through the field in front of the Burrow and played tag like little kids. It was really fun, but in a friendly kind of way. They really didn't do much, but they had fun, like always. She knew Harry the best, but he was more like a brother to her.

Severus Snape was not having a remotely good time. Emily Vanile was chattering away about who was marrying whom, or who had been seen together in public. It was too much for Severus to bear. By the end of their conversation, he was missing the company of Miss Granger. At least she was remotely intelligent.

He had finished the cure and was in the middle of writing the paper and filing for the patent when Miss Vanile called on him. She had helped him so much in the research and by being there to bounce his ideas off her. He was going to give her a footnote, a lengthy footnote. He hoped she would read his research on his dissertation topic. It was a long running challenge for him. He wanted to find a cure for lycanthropy.

"Severus," he shuddered at her use of his first name without permission, "What do you think?"

"I think that you have a very valuable opinion." He stated diplomatically.

She smiled at him. He was free from the truly insufferable woman an hour later. _I never have to see that dolt again_ he thought, gratefully.

He went to his lab and started to heat a cauldron. The Hospital wing needed restocking and that was his next project. The dungeons had been fully restored. Now all they had to do to get the school up and running was to find new teachers. McGonagall was the new headmaster and Vector and Trelawney died. So, they needed a transfiguration techer, a divination teacher and an arithmency teacher.

Severus' stomach growled and his legs were getting stiff. Instead of calling a house elf down, he stood up and started to walk to the kitchens.

He pondered on what Miss Granger was doing. It had been five weeks since they last saw each other and Severus thought she would at least write. She was his last chance unless he wanted to be stuck with the annoying Miss Vanile for the rest of his life, something he was sure he could not stand. Miss Granger would at least be a better companion.

He arrived at the kitchens, but heard footsteps behind him. He turned around quickly, wand out, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Miss Granger, I wasn't aware we had a meeting."

"We don't, I'm here to talk to McGonagall"

Severus abruptly walked into the kitchens, feeling absolutely foolish for the first time in a long time.

 **A/n:** thanks for reading. Next is the ball. Sorry it's short.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** read and review. I hope you like it.

Hermione looked at Professor Snape walk into the kitchens and blushed, but continued walking to the headmistress' office. She stepped to the gargoyle and told it the password 'spearmint' and stepped onto the moving staircase. Hermione knocked nervously on the door and she heard the voice from inside say "Enter".

"Hermione, so good to see you."

"And you, professor."

'Please, if we're going to be colleagues, then you must call me Minerva."

"You mean I got the job?"

"With your transcripts, work ethic and what you did during the war, I was going to beg you to come teach. Please Hermione, give yourself more credit."

"When should I move into the castle?"

"After the Marriage Law thing has settled; so after Christmas. You can have your space; you will have an office, chambers and a classroom."

"Thank you so much."

Hermione turned to leave, but McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, turning back to the regal professor.

"If I may intrude, who was your most compatible match?"

"Professor Snape" The girl mumbled, blushing.

"What did you say, dear?"

"Professor Snape." She said loudly.

"Oh, dear." Minerva was actually laughing for the first time since the war ended.

"I could see it work." She wiped her eyes, "You be careful with him, he's had a hard life."

Hermione got out of the office as soon as possible. She walked, thinking of the professor. He had not contacted her since the book he sent her, but then again, she had not contacted him either. She turned and walked down to the dungeons and stopped at his door. Before she knocked, the door opened and Professor Snape ushered her inside.

"Sorry for not writing you, professor."

"That is okay, Miss Granger. I would like you to come to dinner with me tonight, at six. If you would meet me here, or at the doors, if it would please you."

"Of course, thank you professor. I will see you then."

Hermione left in a flurry, her mind working over-time, analyzing her old professor's actions that day. When he had met her before, it had almost seemed as though he wanted to meet her, but no, he was Severus Snape, he didn't want to meet anyone, nor did he need to.

The confused girl shook her head and continued on her way to her home. Hermione walked to Hogsmade and apparated to the Burrow. Ginny, Ron and Harry were in the kitchen, waiting for her.

"I got the job!" She exclaimed as she walked to the table.

Ron picked her up and spun her around. When he put her down, he kissed her. They broke apart and smiled at each other. They talked about their futures. Ginny wanted to join a Quidditch team, tryouts were after valentine's day. Harry and Ron wanted to be Aurors, and class started in June. For now they were all waiting for the Ministry Ball, where they would formally announce their engagements.

"Ron, who are you going to choose?" Hermione asked.

"You, always you. But, for this law, I'm leaning towards Luna. She's alright, you know, a little loony, but alright."

Mrs. Weasley came to cook dinner and Hermione stole Ginny away to talk to her.

"I'm going to dinner with Professor Snape tonight. I think I need to dress up nicely. Could you?"

"Of course, Hermione. Let's get started."

They started with a shower. It was long and Hermione made sure that she ran some sleek-eazy through her hair. The dress she was going to wear was a forest green. Ginny insisted it must be. It hugged her waist and flared at the hips. The neckline scooped just low enough to show off some cleavage, but not low enough to look scandalous. The sleeves were tight at the top and flowed down, draping off of her skinny forearms. Ginny curled her bushy hair and with another dose of sleek-eazy and patience, her hair looked shiny and smooth and fell in soft curls down to her mid-back.

Her makeup was light, concealer, foundation, blush and mascara. She looked in the mirror and decided she looked halfway decent. Ginny handed her a pair of low high heels and walked down the stairs. It had been three hours of preparation, most of it spent on her hair, but it was worth it. Ron was at the bottom of the stairs and he gasped when he saw her.

"Where are you going, dressed like that?"

"Out. Professor Snape asked me to meet him tonight."

"Oh. So all that," he gestured at me, "Is for him."

"Yes…"

He stormed off, angry at Hermione yet again. Hermione ran after him, but he had locked himself in his room. Hermione knocked softly.

"Ron, please."

"Hermione, go away. I can't deal with you right now."

"Just talk to me."

Ron opened the door. His cheeks were tear-streaked and his eyes were red. He motioned for her to come inside the room. Hermione grabbed Ron and they swayed back and forth together, Hermione humming a familiar tune. After Ron had calmed down and stopped crying, he sat up and spoke to her.

"I thought I could do it," He took a deep breath and continued at a more even tone, "I thought I could love you and another. But I can't. I love you so much Hermione, so much, and for so long. But with this law, it's like its telling me I can't love you anymore, we're too different, and maybe I shouldn't have loved you in the first place. And Luna, she's great, but she's not you, you know? I want to love her but I can't because you're here and I feel like you need me, but facing the facts, Luna and I have to get married in just over six months. But I still love you, and I don't want to hurt her. I'm so confused."

Ron put his head in his hands and sighed. He leaned against Hermione as she tried to figure out what he had just said. He had rambled a lot, but Hermione was able to get the gist of it. She fingered the ring that Ron had given her right before the Quidditch cup, thinking about all of the memories, then pulled it off. She teared up, but kept the tears from spilling over. She grabbed his hand and put the ring in the center of his palm then closed his hand around it. He looked up at her, his blue eyes watery and full of sadness.

"Ron, I have known you for all the better parts of my life. You are a good person, and I will always love you, but we need to face reality. Subconsciously, we thought we could keep dating with this law looming over us, but if we're together, then we cannot love others. You are my childhood love Ron, and I will cherish you forever, but we need to move on. Love Luna, you suit each other perfectly."

Hermione kissed the hand with the ring in it before walking out of the room. She was almost crying, but she couldn't cry now, because she knew she wouldn't stop. She walked out the front door without stopping to let anyone question her. She didn't need another reason to cry, and she was late for her meeting.

Severus Snape was pacing the doorway leading to the outside. The entirety of the grounds were covered in snow and the area by the massive door was freezing cold. He was upset and worried that Miss Granger would not show up. He didn't want to be stuck with Miss Vanile for the rest of his life.

He fiddled with the box in his pocket as he started to get more and more anxious and doubtful that the young girl would show up. Then, he saw a black dot appear on the horizon. It got closer and closer and after a while, he could tell it was Miss Granger. He opened the door for the woman and stopped to look at her. Her hair was not crazy, like it normally was, it fell down her back in waves instead of kinks. It threw him off kilter for a bit, but not as much as when she pulled off her winter cloak to reveal her dress.

He took a moment to admire her form, but only a moment. He turned around and motioned for her to follow. They walked along the corridors and up the stairs. As soon as she got to the seventh floor, she knew exactly where she was going. He walked in front of the blank wall three times, and then the door appeared.

Hermione gasped when she saw the room. It was not overly fancy, but it was beautiful all the same. There was a crystal chandelier and below it, a round table, not too big or small, with a candle in the center. There were silver dishes on the table. Professor Snape led her to her chair and helped her sit down before sitting himself.

"How have you been? It's been nearly six weeks." She asked.

"I've been better, but the time has passed quickly. I ruled out my other canidate. She was obnoxious. I also finished the paper and was filing for the patent today. Why were you at the castle?"

"I was seeing Minerva, I am working as the transfiguration teacher starting next term. How many other candidates did you say you had?"

"I had two. Yourself and Miss Vanile."

"Emily Vanile?" Hermione let out a laugh, "She's a bit—"

"Annoying?"

"Bubbly," she finished.

"Yes, well, how many did you have?"

"I had five. The first was you, of course, then Abraxas Limoux, who was the epitome of a pureblood snob. Then Draco Malfoy, but he's engaged to this lovely woman, muggle born too, and they truly love each other, then there's Harry, but he's more like my brother, plus he's in love with Ginny, who, unsurprisingly, was his most compatible. My last candidate was Jacob Crawley. He was a pig though, and a drunk. So I guess all that's left is you."

"So it seems." Professor Snape said.

Hermione looked at him, truly looked at him for the first time that night. He had made an effort with his hair, it looked less greasy and more shinny. His robes looked pressed, though they were still his usual black. Hermione smiled up at the man. The professor reached into his pocket and slid the box across the table.

Hermione looked shocked, but opened the box. Inside, there was a golden ring with a small, clear orb filled with some sort of liquid that Hermione could not determine. There were two rubies to either side of it, making the orb shine a red and orange, much like an opal.

"It's a Phoenix tear." He said.

Hermione gasped. Phoenix tears were extremely expensive, ten times more expensive than any diamond.

"So, Miss Granger, would you marry me?"

"I will." She said, the words shocking even herself.

 **A/N** Hey, thans for reading, the story will continue, if not today then tommorow. Please review or add to your favorites, every little bit keeps me going. (I fixed the formating problems for chapter 2.)


End file.
